Call of Duty: NEXT LIVE — All Black Ops 7 announcements, beta news, and more as it is revealed

Here are all of the biggest announcements from Call of Duty Next.

News
By Contributions from last updated
A promotional image from Call of Duty Black Ops 7 showing the main protagonist and one of his squad mates. Behind them are the words, "Call of Duty Next."
(Image: © Windows Central / Microsoft)

It is one of the most magical times of the year — that is, if you are a Call of Duty fan. Call of Duty NEXT is here, and it is time to learn everything we possibly can about the franchise's next mainline release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7!

I'm actually reporting live from Call of Duty NEXT in Las Vegas, where I will be hands-on with Black Ops 7 and sitting down to chat with developers from Treyarch and Raven. I'll also keep you up to date here with announcements as they happen. — Cole Martin, contributor

#CODNext Showcase | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Multiplayer, Zombies, Warzone & more - YouTube #CODNext Showcase | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Multiplayer, Zombies, Warzone & more - YouTube
Watch On

What to expect from COD NEXT

COD NEXT will be the first chance players have to see live gameplay of Black Ops 7's multiplayer and Zombies modes. (Image credit: Activision)

COD NEXT is the ultimate place to be if you are a Call of Duty creator. Collaborations go down in the elevators on the way to lunch. Friendships are made on the shuttle to the venue, and enemyships are forged in the streaming pit.

For those fans at home, COD NEXT is your chance to kick back and tune in to your favorite streamers to finally get a proper first look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's multiplayer gameplay, Zombies mode, and find out details on what changes are coming to Call of Duty: Warzone.

Based on past Call of Duty NEXT experiences, we expect a few things to be shown during the event:

  • Multiplayer gameplay: Professional content creators, esports players, and members of the press will take each other on in a curated multiplayer experience.
  • Weapon and loadout deep dives: Treyarch and Raven Software will likely introduce the arsenal at players' disposal in Black Ops 7 and talk about the vast changes coming to perks.
  • Season 1 plans for BO7 x Call of Duty: Warzone: Quality of life improvements, changes to movement, and maybe even a new map?
  • Zombies, zombies, zombies: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's zombies mode has had a growth spurt since its predecessor. Expect to learn more about the new TranZit-inspired map and the return of Survival.
  • RICOCHET anti-cheat: Call of Duty's proprietary anti-cheat is now required to have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled prior to the open beta on October 2.

Black Ops 7's first Zombies chapter is Ashes of the Damned. (Image credit: Activision)

More than 250 content creators and members of the press are live from the streaming venue. In addition to the creators on-site, Activision has also selected additional creators to host Watch Parties on various streaming platforms.

Connect your favorite streaming platform, such as Twitch or YouTube, to your Activision account and watch any COD NEXT live stream for one hour to receive an early access beta code for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

Refresh

Buckle up! Call of Duty: NEXT's livestream kicks off in a little more than 10 minutes. Players who connect their Activision accounts to their Twitch or YouTube accounts and watch COD NEXT broadcasts for a minimum of one hour will receive early access to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta, starting on October 2.

Early access to the beta can also be unlocked by preordering Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 — both the standard or the vault edition unlock access — or by subscribing to Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass. — Cole Martin, contributor

COD Next has officially kicked off and we've started with a list of multiplayer maps that are coming to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 beta starting October 2:

  • The Forge
  • Cortex
  • Exposure
  • Imprint
  • Blackheart
  • Toshin

Multiplayer launch with 18 maps. (Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 7 will launch with 18 maps: 16 for the classic 6v6 multiplayer modes and two for the brand new 20v20 Skirmish multiplayer experience.

While the majority of the maps are new, there are three returning Black Ops 2 maps at launch, as well, for that nostalgia flare we all crave. — Cole Martin, contributor

Players are getting their first look at live gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The first match is Team Deathmatch on the map Blackheart.

We also see tac-sprint, which was previously introduced with the Modern Warfare series, make its exit from the player kit. Players who want to move even faster will need to sacrifice one of their perk slots for additional sprinting. The animation for tac-sprint has also been reworked. It longer holds the player's weapon in the air, obstructing their view while on the move. — Cole Martin, contributor

The Treyarch team are taking a moment to break down Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's new overclocking system, which will allow players to level up equipment like lethals, tacticals, field upgrades and scorestreaks that they use frequently.

Overclocked equipment can provide new game-changing upgrades to the player. The D.A.W.G. scorestreak, for example, can be upgraded to include better battery life which keeps it on the field for longer, or to go into a sentry mode with a trophy system which makes it excellent at holding points in objective modes. — Cole Martin, contributor